Lesson 4 One World, Many Ways
Same World, Different Lenses
When you look at a picture that your friend shows you on his or ____ phone, do you notice who is in the picture first or where the picture was taken first?
Whichever you look at first, that perspective may reflect your cultural values without you being consciously aware of ____
These different points of view exist as personal and individual differences, but groups of ____ in a particular neighborhood, city, or country may also have striking similarities.
In her book titled East Meets West, author Yang Liu, who was born in China and moved to Germany when ____ was 14, attempts to illustrate perspectives from her eastern and western heritages in several different contexts through eye-catching illustrations.
____ seem to open up a friendly discussion on the essence of differences not only between individuals but also between groups or communities.
How Do You Solve Problems?
The picture above is an illustration of ____ different approaches to solving problems.
The picture on the left shows a straight line while the one on the ____ seems to follow a more meandering path; however, they both end up reaching the destination.
In simple terms, the process of ____ a goal has a beginning and an end.
On the ____ the most direct path can achieve a goal with the expenditure of as little energy as possible.
On the right, several other factors seem ____ require attention before the same goal is reached, which is why the path is less direct.
Is the emphasis on the end result ____ on the process?
Putting it in other words, do you value efficiency ____ thoroughness?
____ answer to these questions depends on the characteristics of the individuals and communities involved.
How Do You Express Your Feelings?
Does the expression on your face ____ mirror how you actually feel as in the picture on the left?
Or do you often hide your true feelings in order ____ to hurt others around you?
Do people express their feelings in different ways depending ____ the context?
In social situations, some ____ consider carefully how their displays of emotion might be interpreted by others.
Students have likely experienced similar situations ____ a big test.
If Nika remained calm after she got a perfect score on her exam while Manfred got 70% and cried in disappointment, would the expression on ____ of their faces reflect how they feel?
Nika may not want to make Manfred feel ____ so she might try to hide the elation she feels by being cool about it.
However, Manfred may simply display ____ he feels at the moment.
A “blue” person may be critical of Nika and understanding of Manfred ____ Nika is not being honest while Manfred is being genuine.
The opposite may be true from the “red” perspective: Nika is respecting others' moods while Manfred is making classmates feel ____
A simple way to look at the distinction is to ask if it's more important ____ honestly let feelings show or if it's more important to consider the feelings of others.
These perspectives on social manners, ____ repeated, may become a normal cultural practice.
The picture below shows
The picture below shows the different perspectives ____ the role of a person in society.
Is the individual more important as the picture on the left shows, or is the group more important as shown on ____ right?
Some people see ____ in the context of a group.
They think themselves to be ____ of a larger whole, placing importance on harmony and relationships with others, possibly at the cost of their own personal recognition.
Other people may emphasize individual talent and ____ abilities that stand out beyond the group.
If a group member has a good idea, should she suggest the idea to the ____
A “blue” person may be praised for having the creativity to make a ____ easier to reach.
____ the other hand, a “red” person might consider how the new idea affects the group dynamics and take into account the possibility of friction between members during a change.
Which Is More Important, the Individual or the Group?
Generally speaking, even though differences are what makes each culture unique, ____ may also be barriers to understanding.
Yang Liu's book isn't ____ ranking cultural differences in terms of which is better.
The book is designed to show that there may be other ways to look ____ the world.
Maybe it's easier to think of culture ____ taking photographs.
The individual ____ uses a variety of different methods to capture what she feels is the most important aspect of a scene.
____ it the lighting or the angle?
Should ____ be people in it or not?
Is a close-up ____ a wide shot better?
Likewise, cultural understanding comes from being open to the ____ that differences may come from putting value on different aspects of life.